Doug Drexler
| Place of birth = New York City, New York | Date of death = | Place of death = | Awards for Trek = 2 Emmy nominations | Roles = Makeup and Scenic Artist, Special and Visual effects staff, TNG and ENT performer, ''Star Trek'' author }} Artist Doug Drexler has been creating or contributing to Star Trek productions and publications since the 1970s. Beginnings as fan Born in New York City, Drexler was a first-generation Star Trek fan - although he was prohibited from watching television on school nights, Drexler managed to watch , and subsequently to persuade his parents to allow him an hour's viewing a week, for Star Trek. Drexler, along with Ron Barlow, ran a small Star Trek store in Manhattan, New York - "The Federation Trading Post" - during the mid-1970s. http://drexfiles.wordpress.com/2010/01/31/the-federation-trading-post-east/ Although failing initially, the store became more well-known after advertising during Original Series syndication, eventually becoming a focus for media contact about Star Trek. Drexler and Barlow were approached by Paradise Press to edit one of the first Star Trek magazines, the Star Trek Giant Poster Book. http://drexfiles.wordpress.com/2009/10/04/the-smithsonian-report-poster-book-flashback-1977/ It was through the store that Drexler met frequent collaborator Geoffrey Mandel, with whom he compiled one of the first technical reference works in Trek history: the USS Enterprise Officer's Manual, as well as Anthony Fredrickson, with whom he would author the Star Fleet Medical Reference Manual. Drexler also contributed as co-writer of two Gold Key TOS comics issues, "This Tree Bears Bitter Fruit" (#47) and "Sweet Smell of Evil" (#48). On issue #47, he is credited as a Story Consultant. Professional career Drexler began working as a makeup artist in on the movie The Hunger, having been invited to do so by renowned makeup artist, . His other early work included Manhunter and Fatal Attraction. After engaging in a long correspondence with Robert Justman and Michael Westmore during preproduction of Star Trek: The Next Generation, only to be unable to get a position on the series due to union rules, Drexler moved to Hollywood in to work on Dick Tracy (being made a member of the LA Union by ), for which he later won an Academy Award. Dick Tracy featured many Star Trek alumni in the cast: Colm Meaney, John Schuck, Ian Wolfe, Seymour Cassel, Hamilton Camp, Chuck Hicks, Mike Hagerty, Robert Costanzo, Ed McCready, Bert Remsen, Walker Edmiston and Michael J. Pollard. ''Star Trek'' affiliation of the ]] ]] Now able to work in California, Drexler approached Westmore to reapply for a position in the Next Generation make-up department. Westmore, incredulous at first that an Academy Award winner would want to work as a lesser paid makeup artist for a television show, hired him and Drexler's first assignment was putting on the Shakespeare makeup on Patrick Stewart for . (The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine, issue 11, p. 53) Drexler worked as a make-up artist for three years, earning two Emmy nominations. Happy as Drexler was, working on Star Trek, he has professed that, "(...)the art department was calling to me and that's really where I wanted to be." He struck up a friendship with Michael Okuda, whom he admired, and kept in touch with him and his Scenic Art department, waiting for an opportunity to move over. That opportunity came when Star Trek: Deep Space Nine went into production and Okuda hired him, eventually becoming the lead scenic artist on the series. A grateful Drexler recalled, "Looking through the trade paper, ''Variety, I saw that Paramount had made up their minds and they were going to do Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. I got on the phone right away to Mike Okuda, who really stuck out his neck for me, and that's how it happened!" (The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine, issue 11, p. 54) After that series wrapped, Drexler moved over as a visual effects artist to Foundation Imaging, and worked on ''Star Trek: Voyager, the only time during his Star Trek years he was not employed by Paramount. He subsequently, back in the employ of Paramount, worked as Senior Illustrator on Star Trek: Enterprise, where he designed the . He was the co-author and illustrator of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual, illustrator of the Star Trek Encyclopedia, and is a contributor and editor of the popular Ships of the Line calendars. During his tenure as scenic artist on Deep Space Nine, Drexler taught himself the software which served him well in providing the technical illustrations for the Manual and Encyclopedia. He went on to master the CGI software as well, the build of the Breen warship for being his first contribution in this format for the franchise. ( , p. 50) His mastery of the software, aside for his regular work for televised Star Trek, also served him well, when he was asked by Pocket Books to provide (CGI) covers for several of their novels, most notably the covers of the Star Trek: Vanguard series. ( , pp. 82-84) Post-''Star Trek'' career Drexler recently worked as Visual Effects CG Supervisor on Ronald D. Moore's Battlestar Galactica (two VFX Emmy wins), and its short lived prequel series, Caprica. Drexler acted as a technical consultant for the [[TOS#Remastered|Remastered Original Series]]. Under the pseudonym "Max Rem" (occasionally also used in the Ships of the Line-calendars), Drexler also worked on the fan made internet series Star Trek: New Voyages (2004-2007). He worked as visual effects artist, executive producer, make-up artist, casting director, and editor on the series and wrote the story for the episode "In Harms Way". Drexler is married to Enterprise food stylist Dorothy Duder. Appearances Drexler has made two cameo appearances as a Starfleet officer. Upon starting work on Star Trek, he asked if he could appear as a background artist, in uniform, at some point. His wish was granted in the third season episode , where he appeared as a [[Unnamed USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) personnel#Command division crew-member in Ten Forward (2366)|command division Enterprise-D officer]] in several scenes set in Ten Forward. He also appeared in as an Earth Starfleet ceremony attendee. File:Command division crewmember in Ten Forward, 2366.jpg|As a [[Unnamed USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) personnel#Command division crewmember in Ten Forward (2366)|command division Enterprise-D officer]] File:Doug Drexler (ensign).jpg|As an Earth Starfleet ceremony attendee Perhaps not coincidentally, his name has been used referring to two Starfleet personnel, D. Drexler and Doug Drexler, on dedication plaques in the same time periods. In addition, Drexler had a Klingon character named after him - Drex, the son of Martok and Sirella, who appeared in . Star Trek credits (This list is currently incomplete.) * ** - Makeup Artist (uncredited, Season 3) ** - Makeup Artist (uncredited) ** - Special Effects Makeup Artist (uncredited) ** - Makeup Artist (uncredited, Season 5) ** - Makeup Artist (uncredited) ** - Makeup Artist (uncredited) ** - Makeup Artist (uncredited) ** - Special Effects Makeup Artist (uncredited) ** - Makeup Artist (uncredited) Emmy Award nominations * Emmy Award nomination as for the episode in the category Outstanding Achievement in Makeup for a Series, shared with Michael Westmore, Gerald Quist, June Westmore, Hank Edds, John Caglione, Jr., and Ron Walters * Emmy Award nomination as for the episode in the category Outstanding Achievement in Makeup for a Series, shared with Michael Westmore, Gerald Quist, June Abston Haymore, Karen Westerfield, and Jill Rockow Star Trek interviews * DS9 Season 5 DVD special feature "A new Enterprise", interviewed on * ENT Season 4 DVD special feature "Inside the "Mirror" Episodes" Bibliography * Star Trek Giant Poster Book magazine series, 1976 – Author/Editor * This Tree Bears Bitter Fruit, 1977 – Story Consultant * Sweet Smell of Evil, 1977 – Co-author * Star Fleet Medical Reference Manual, 1977 – Co-illustrator * USS Enterprise Officer's Manual, 1980 – Illustrator * Star Trek Encyclopedia, 2nd ed., 1997 & 3rd ed, 1999 – Illustrator * Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual, 1998 – Co-author/Illustrator * Star Trek Sticker Book, 1999 – Illustrator * Star Trek: Ships of the Line calendar series – Illustrator/Editor * Star Trek: Vanguard novel series, 2005 – Cover Illustrator Further reading * "Doug Drexler: Scenic Artist", David Hirsch, The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine, issue 11, March 1995, pp. 50-56 * "Doug Drexler", , January 2001, pp. 68-73 * "Doug Drexler (Part 2)", , February 2001, pp. 82-89 * "Behind the Scenes: Designing the Ti'Mur", , July 2002, pp. 20-24 External links * Drex Files - Doug Drexler's blog * * * * 2006 Interview with Doug Drexler at TrekPlace.com de:Doug Drexler es:Doug Drexler Drexler, Doug Drexler, Doug Drexler, Doug Drexler, Doug Drexler, Doug Drexler, Doug Drexler, Doug